As February ends, let us March on

With the start of March, the Equinox and Spring move near.  March gains its name from the Roman month Martius which in turn gains its name from Mars, the Roman god of war who is much more a soldier god than his Greek counterpart, Ares.

So, the theme for March will again be the military and things martial.  As usual, if there is anything in particular you would like to see let me know.  I will try to do something, spell or item, for the Equinox as well.

February, 2017, this journal saw the following posts here:

Rokugan SRIU Episode 12 “Northern Spirits” (L5R Campaign Report)

Having survived the Phoenix Winter Court, making only one (known) enemy, things are looking good for the unit as spring begins to arrive as does Mirumoto Daremo, having traveled up the coast in terrible weather to bring news to the unit and a promotion for Hida Kenta, who is now a nikutai (lowest ranked officer) in the Imperial Magistrate’s Office and officially in command of the unit.

Looking forward to a swift return to the capital, their hopes are dashed as Togashi Shisõ sends them  into the new lands to the North, when an Imperial road has gone missing, except for the Otoku and the Tonbo who are dispatched to deliver some vital messages to the Dragon lands.

They travel north with the spring thaw, the the edge of Pheonix lands, and the old Empire, and then beyond.  The shugenja notice it almost physically, as if the quality of light shifted, it does not seem dangerous just . . . different.  As they travel further, first through Phoenix managed lands, the lands become less like Rokugan and less Rokuganized.  The older buildings are of a distinctly different architectural style, the peasants do not converse in a proper language and this are just not right, not entirely unfamilair but not proper either.

After some weeks of travel, they cross into Iron Mine Valley, a Lion holding ruled by Matsu Terumoto, where they are met by Ikoma Koji and his patrol who route the unit to the work camp, which is comprised primarily of impressed local peasantry, near to the road way.  They investigate and talk to people about the missing road, a mile stretch of which just vanished one night, was replaced and then -even though it was guarded- vanished again!  No one can explain it and the peasant and none to keen on doing the work again and the local quarry has been exhausted so a new source of stone must be found.

Tuesday Magic Item – Claimant’s Medallion

“That fellow, the one talking with the Count, he seems awfully familiar but I am sure we have not met,” said Voddick before taking another bite of sausage.

Gollaon looked across the mess hall and did a double take.  “By the Shadowed Path, he is a spitting image of Baron Danballion’s heir, Paxton.  The one that was killed in the Dark Star ambush.”

“You are right and he is carrying the house shield too.  Didn’t Paxton say he was an only child?  A cousin maybe?”

Gollaon studied the man with the Danballion shield.  “Perhaps . . .”

Claimant’s Medallion

These medallions contain a picture or image, changing to match the gender of the wearer, and have a secret compartment to place a twist of hair or other bit of body.

Tuesday Magic Item – Manifesto of Unity

Voddick ducked back around the corner after discharging his crossbow.  “They are still coming and I am running out of bolts.”

Gollaon nodded grimly.  “Revolutionary organizations are rarely so disciplined.  Something more is at work here.”

“Could it be that document that they signed?”

“The Manifesto!  Of course!  That is the binding magic that I have been feeling.”

“Well, what do we do?” asked Voddick as he recocked his crossbow.

“Destroy the Manifesto or run.”

“Run it is!”

Manifesto of Unity

Crafted after hundreds, if not thousands of hours, of debate to distill a political philosophy and desire into  direct and understandable program, these manifesto are charged with potential energy that with the correct magical push can bind (some would say ensnare) the signers into a greater whole.

New Magic Item – Flesh-Biting Blade

Gollaon looked over the captured sword.  “Nasty piece of work.”

Voddick, rubbed under the cut on his forehead, “Very.  I would be careful with it, my friend.  Such weapons often have evil spirits bound into them.”

“Not a wise choice,” Gollaon managed to force it back into its scabbard.

“No, weapon-bound spirits are dangerous enough, it is foolish to temp fate by binding one that is malevolent.”

Flesh-Biting Blade

These weapons usually look vicious with wavy or serrated blades, they are very hard to keep clean and often have bits of hair or skin caught in their edge, but this does not impair their sharpness and ability to inflict damage.

PinkCat: Running in the Shade “Clean Up” (A different sort of SR campaign report)

To understand what is going on here, you had best read the first PinkCat: Running in the Shade post, but short summary, this is a campaign report for our Shadowrun campaign set in NorCal through the filter of a cartoon made by one of the team members.

Episode Twenty Six: Clean Up

Guest Starring: DD, Double Up and Tora

Some of the local students find they can make money working after school working as cleaners, Pink steps in and starts organizing them into Sunnyshine Cleaners.  Hilarity ensues as the cleaners deal with all sorts of ridiculous problems and messes, chocolate sauce spills, mermaids in tubs and so on.  But Pink and the cleaners become more and more corporate as they become more successful, to the point where she almost turns her back on her friends . . . but then realizes that friendship is more important than money, even clean money.  Sunnyside Cleaners downsize back into nice after-school jobs and Pink takes everyone out to ice cream to apologize.

What really happened:

Tuesday Magic Item – Heartbreaker

Gollaon paused in the cleaning of his sword and sighed.

“Who are you pining over now?” asked Voddick as he carefully stitched a repair in his shirt.

“That girl.”

“That does not narrow it much you know,” grumbled Voddick.

“The raven-haired lass with the flashing blue eye,” he sighed.

“The one who stabbed you in that brawl?  The one with the eyepatch!?”

“The very one.”

Heartbreaker

The origin of this dagger is unknown, but rumors about it have been circulating for centuries if not longer.  It is a plain steel weapon with a curved blade, unexceptional in appearance but it is warmer than the ambient temperature to the touch.

Tuesday Magic Item – Scourge of the Vanities

Gollaon pulled his plain cloak tighter around him.  “We had best make our way away.”

“Agreed,” muttered Voddick having acquired a stout club.  “Such fanaticism is dangerous.”

The pair skirted the edges of the crowd who had gathered to listen to and be led by the priest who denounced and sought to destroy those physical items which -he claimed- made people weak to their desires and passions.  Mirrors, cosmetics, fine cloth, books and artwork were piled up and soon to be put to the torch to spare people from their temptations.

Once clear of the chanting crowds, Voddick shook his head.  “Such a waste.  Fine crafts are proof of people’s soul and creativity.”

“Some people want to force us all to walk the narrow and restricted paths they see as pure,” sighed Gollaon.  “And there is the gate ahead.  Let us leave them to their path and find a better one of our own.”

Scourge of the Vanities

These weapons are plain and practical, well made but with no decoration or fripperies to distract from their basic functionality as tools of destruction.  Usually they are hafted weapons such as an axe or mace but occasionally a pole arm or a plain sword is encountered.